Social Democrats Refuse Cooperation With Communists

Prague, May 13 (CTK) – The Czech Social Democrats (CSSD) will not sign any written agreement with the Communists (KSCM) since it is up to Prime Minister Andrej Babis’ ANO to ensure the support for the minority government, CSSD deputy chairman Martin Netolicky told the Prima television station today.

Netolicky said the Communists should not evaluate the ministers who might be nominated to the possible coalition government by the Social Democrats because the Communists would not bear the government responsibility.

The CSSD is conducting talks on the creation of a minority coalition government with ANO. It is to be tolerated by the KSCM.

“If the minority government of the Social Democrats and ANO is formed, support for it should be ensured by the main partner who won the election, which means Babis,” Netolicky said.

“He should sign the deal. So let Babis conduct talks with the Communist,” he added.

Netolicky said he expected to learn what ANO had promised to the Communists for the tolerance of his government on the basis of the talks between ANO and KSCM.

He dismissed the notion that the Communists should intervene in the Social Democrat nominations for the government members.

“It does not seem to be common that the party which is outside the agreement should check the government members who shoulder the government responsibility,” he added.

The programme must be the basis for the government to be tolerated by the KSCM, Netolicky said.

A Social Democrat intra-party referendum is yet to decide on whether the party will enter the government with ANO. It will be held between May 21 and June 14.

Netolicky said he would not disclose how he would vote in the referendum since he did not want to influence other party members.

He said Babis’s rhetoric often reinforces the stance of those Social Democrats who were against the party’s presence in the government with him.

Netolicky said this in connection with Babis’ having spoken about the option of an early election if the Social Democrats rejected the government on Friday.

Netolicky said these words were a threat, but it was not simple to hold the early election since conditions for it had not been fulfilled.

“There are still two more tries at forming a government. The second has not occurred since Babis is not the prime minister making the second try, he is the prime minister in the caretaker position,” he added.

Netolicky said President Milos Zeman might entrust someone else than Babis, such as a different ANO representative, with forming the government.

Babis heads an ANO minority government established last December, which, however, lost a confidence vote in January.